College Picks, Week 15: Give me Stanford and Michigan State with the points in these conference-title games

Last round before we all pause for the beginning of the bowl season. Right to the picks…

—-KAWAKAMI (last week 3-0, overall 22-18-2/

* STANFORD +3.5, over Arizona State: Getting the points with Stanford is a big deal here, I think–it will help keep the Cardinal players on edge as an underdog vying for a Rose Bowl berth, even though I think Stanford is clearly the superior team, anyway, and probably will win outright.

The Cardinal has been an underdog exactly once this season, by 10.5 points to Oregon, and we know how that turned out. Stanford hasn’t been so tremendous as a favorite and particularly unwieldy as a road favorite (2-3 against the point-spread)… but that’s not really relevant on Saturday, is it?

The relevant point is that Stanford beat the Sun Devils by 14 in their early-season meeting, and was up by a lot more than that before easing up at the end.

Of course, ASU goes into this one having won seven in a row, but none vs. a team as physical as Stanford and Stanford’s playing more physical than ever these days.

I think Arizona State will move the ball, but also will turn it over and give up tons of yards, and this one will end up something like Stanford 27-21.

* MICHIGAN STATE +6, over Ohio State: You can’t always rely on results vs. the same opponent, but I’m going to lean that way this time–Ohio State barely beat Michigan 42-41 and Michigan State over-powered the Wolverines 29-6.
The Buckeyes probably will win this game, but I’ll take the Spartan defense plus all those points and hope the MSU offense can put up at least two TDs.

* OKLAHOMA STATE -11, over Oklahoma: So… OK State has put up 58, 52, 42, 38 and 49 points in it’s last five games while running right through Iowa State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Texas and Baylor. (OK State has also covered the spread in its last six games.)
Can’t see how the Cowboys go lower than 40 in this one and while the Sooners’ offense has been very good recently, I don’t think Oklahoma’s getting 29.

—-PURDY (last week 1-0, overall 10-4)/

* NORTHERN ILLINOIS -4.5, over Bowling Green. Purdy comment: Huskies are best team in the MAC by far and certainly by 4 1/2 points.

I went to the Stanford-ASU game. ASU was clearly outmatched. They got punked all game. Pushed around like high school seniors do to freshman. They would have won by 30 if Shaw didn’t take out all the starters. Not that much has changed in two months. Stanford wins comfortably.